Heater support



April 1944. E. R. KOPPEL 1 2,345,677

HEATER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 21, 1941 g-11. '6 4 I FIELZ. I

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Ernst RKo v ue/ INVENTOR. I

AT TURNER Patented Apr. 4, 1944 HEATER SUPPORT Ernst R. Koppel, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a

corporation of New York Application August 21, 1941, Serial No. 407,727

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a heater support for water heaters.

This application constitutes a continuation in part of application Serial No. 316,083, filed January 29, 1940, for a Fluid container, by the same inventor.

One object of the present invention is to provide a rigid and durable support for water heaters that is easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object is to provide a support that presents a pleasing appearance and in which all of the parts thereof are adapted to perform a useful function.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the .following description and accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gas heater embodying the invention, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a central section on a vertical plane through the support and lower end of. the heater;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the lower end of the casing, parts being broken away to show the base; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the supports.

The gas water heater illustrated by Figure 1, in general comprises a cylindrical tank I having heads 2 and 3, and a central vertical flue for conducting the hot gas from the burner. The tank is enclosed in insulation 4 disposed be tween the tank I and an external ,casing consisting of a bottom 5, a top 6 and a cylindrical section 1 that fits between the bottom and top.

Since the present invention is particularly concerned with a heater support it will be understood that this description is directed to the pertinent parts thereof with only a summary statement as to the general elements of the heater. It is not intended, however, to limit the invention to gas heaters of the typementioned as the support is readily adapted to various types of water heaters, such as gas heaters with external flues, oil heaters and electric heaters.

In the water heater shown the four .legs 8 are welded to the tank I at their upper ends 9, and have their lower ends lll flanged horizontally inwardly and secured to the bottom of the casing and to the extension legs II by bolts l2.

The four leg extensions H with preferably 8 shaped appearance and with their upper ends l3. horizontally flanged outwardly and the lower extensions l l ends l4 horizontally flanged inwardly, are disposed below the respective horizontally flanged lower ends I0 of the legs 8. Thus the flanges of the legs and the leg extensions mate when in this position.

Between the legs 8 and the leg extensions ll passes the bottom 5 of the external casing of the heater which consists of thin sheet metal that serves to retain the insulation 4 and to act as the bottom closure for the gas burner compartment.

The legs 8, the leg extensions I I and the bottom 5 of the casing are provided with corresponding bolt holes for the passage of the bolts l2 which serve to rigidly hold these parts tightly together when secured in position.

The welding of the legs 8 to the tank I at their upper ends and the bolting of their lower ends to the casing and leg extensions H in the manner described centrally locates the tank I within the external casing and provides a rigid support for the entire heater.

A thin sheet metal shroud 15 of inverted dish shape is provided to enclose the area around the leg extensions II and to provide the appearance of a substantial solid base for the heater. The shroud l5 has its upper peripheral surface l6 curved downwardly to engage the outer sloping body portions ll of the leg extensions H to support the shroud thereon.

The curved outer surface l6 of the shroud I5 also permits easy accesibility to the bolts l2 for assembly purposes and slots it are also provided in the outer surface I6 for passage of the leg The shroud may have one or more additional openings IQ for passage of the pipe 20.

The leveling screws 2| rest on the floor surface and are threaded into holes in the lower flanges 14 of the leg extensions provided for that purpose. These screws may be adjusted to properly level the heater.

The upper surface of the shroud I5 is depressed to form a pan 22 to catch condensation or other foreign matter which may drip from the bottom of the burner. The bottom 5 of the casing is also depressed as at 23 with a gradual slope towards the large central opening 24 therein which permits passage of air to the burner and is aligned with the pan 22 of the shroud 15 in such manner as to allow condensation to fall through the opening 24 into th pan 22 and to permit heat radiation to vaporize such condensation eliminating the necessity of draining the .p ne l e ma c ti nth alwadensate will drain out of the bottom away from the insulation which it is desirable to keep dry.

The flow of air radially across the pan 22 and up through the opening 24 helps to cool the pan and keeps the floor protected against excessive temperature.

A stiffening ring 25 may also be provided to encircle the leg extensions II and to rest between these extensions and the shroud l5 which is slipped over the ring 25 after the latter has been affixed in position. The ring 25 may be secured to the shroud l5 and the leg extensions 4! by welding and serves to give added stability to the latter as they have a tendency to bear outwardly against the ring 25. The lower peripheral por tion of the shroud is preferably cylindrical to fit over the stiffening ring 25.

The heater support here provided is easily assembled and disassembled and also constitutes. a very rigid support that is adjustable to variations in floor surfaces.

The invention also is one in which utility is combined with appearance to save expense in construction.

Thus the shroud encircling the leg extensions gives the pleasing impression of a solid base to the heater without actually acting as such since a heavier and more expensive metal would be required for this function. However, the shroud has utility in that its upper surface provides a pan to protect the floor from excessiv heat and to catch condensation from the heater. The shroud being spaced from the bottom 5 provides for the necessary secondary air in the case of gas and oil burners, assuring uniform distribution of the secondary air as well as protection against drafts.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tank of the class described having integral legs at its marginal edges and an external casing, leg extensions having horizontal flanges at their upper extremities, means for securing the upper extremities there-' of to the bottom of the casing and the lower extremities of the legs of the tank, and means on the lower extremities of the leg extensions to support the extensions on the floor and to level the tank.

2. In combination, a tank of the class described having an external casing and supporting legs separating it from the surface on which it rests, a sheet metal shroud with a sloping outer circumferential surface disposed around and rest-.

ing on said legs, with the latter passing vertically through openings in said shroud, and a pan in th upper surface of said shroud to catch foreign matter falling from the bottom of the tank and to protect the surface on which the tank rests from undue heat, said shroud securing said legs against displacement.

3. In combination, a tank of the class described having integral supporting legs, with a horizontal flange disposed at the bottom extremity of each leg, an external casing separated therefrom by insulating material, leg extensions having horizontal flanges at their extremities, means for securing the upper flanges of the leg extensions to the bottom of the casing and to the bottom flanges of the legs of the tank, and a shroud disposed around said leg extensions.

4. In combination, a tank of the class described having integral supporting legs with a horizontal flange disposed at the bottom extremity of each leg, an external casing separated therefrom by insulating material, leg extensions having horizontal flanges at their extremities, means for securing the upper flanges thereof to the bottom of the casing and to the bottom flanges of the legs of the tank, a shroud disposed around said leg extensions, means in the upper surface of said shroud to catch condensation falling through an opening in the bottom of the casing ,and to protect the supporting floor surface from undue heat, means secured to the lower flanges of the leg extremities to level the tank, and stiffening means secured to the leg extensions and disposed between the extensions and the shroud to give greater stability to the support.

5. In combination, a heater having a substantially cylindrical tank disposed inside an external casing having a bottom that gradually slopes toward a large central opening, legs secured to the lower end of the tank and to the bottom of the casing to support said tank, leg extensions with their lower ends horizontally flanged inwardly and with their upper ends horizontally flanged outwardly disposed below said legs and bottom of the external casing and rigidly secured thereto by bolts, a shroud with a sloping outer surface disposed around and resting on the said leg extensions and containing a pan in its upper surface located directly beneath the opening in the bottom of the external casing to catch condensation falling therethrough and to protect the floor surface from undue heat, and adjustable leveling screws with their heads resting on the floor and threaded into the lower horizontally flanged ends of the leg extensions.

6. In combination, a heater having a tank disposed inside an external casing the bottom of which gradually slopes toward a large central opening, legs secured to the lower end of the tank and each of said legs having a lower flanged extremity secured to the bottom of the casing to support said tank, leg extensions with their lower ends horizontally flanged inwardly and with their upper end horizontally flanged outwardly disposed below the said legs and bottom of the external casing and rigidly secured thereto by bolts, a shroud with a sloping outer surface disposed around. and resting on said leg extensions and containing a pan in its upper surface located directly beneath the opening in the bottom of the external casing to catch condensation falling therethrough and to protect the floor surface from undue heat, the shroud having an opening in its side for the passage of a pipe, and forming in addition suitable passages for secondary air in the case of gas and oil heaters and a protection for the burner against drafts, adjustable leveling screws with their heads resting on the floor and threaded into the lower horizontally flanged ends of the leg extensions, and a stiffening ring secured to the leg extensions and disposed between the extensions and the shroud to give stability to the heater support.

7. In combination, a tank of the class described having substantially vertical leg supports, an outer casing for the tank secured at its bottom to said leg supports about midway of the heighth of the latter, and a shroud separate from said casing and encircling said leg supports below said casing to stabilize and protect the same, said shroud being curved inwardly at the top to provide a substantial air space between it and the bottom of the casing for supplying air to a burner beneath the tank.

8. In combination with a tank of the class deprevent displacement thereof with its upper surscribed having substantially vertical leg supports, face disposed beneath the bottom of said casing an outer casing for the tank secured at its botand spaced therefrom to provide the required suptom to said leg supports and having a central pl of air to the opening in the latter and at the opening in its bottom for supplying air to a burner 5 same time prevent disturbance of the burner flame beneath the tank, and a shroud separate from by extraneous air currents.

said casing and secured to said leg supports to ERNST R. KOPPEL. 

